Phil Mustard is just happy to do a job wherever Durham need him to bat – and yesterday he did two.

The wicketkeeper made 64 not out against Lancashire.

Just as importantly, he helped County Championship debutant Paul Coughlin to 71 not out - the highest score by a Durham No.10.

When the Riversiders resumed today on 310-8 the pair needed just two more runs for the county’s biggest ninth-wicket partnership.

Mustard started the season pushed up the order at five, but yesterday his runs came from eight.

Mustard told the Chronicle: “With the Stokes situation (Ben Stokes returned from a broken wrist) it was a case of moving around the team.

“It is not about me, it is about what is best for the team.

“Stokesey’s the best No.5 and we have Muchy (Gordon Muchall) coming in at seven who could bat two, three, four, five, six – wherever you want to bat him.

“I really enjoyed batting at five but I ca not imagine me going back there in the near future.”

Mustard hit 91 at Northampton in his first knock in the 2014 Championship.

Since then he has struggled, failing to get above 20 in his next eight innings.

He added: “It has been quite frustrating. I want to get runs and I have been working quite hard at it, but that is just the way cricket is.

“One day you find a bit of rhythm and get your timing right and yesterday it was quite nice.

“You have to make the most of it when things are going well.

“There might have been a few loose shots in there but generally I was quite pleased with that.”

Mustard’s innings was totally out of character, his half-century taking 126 deliveries.

He said: “It was hard work but it was just a case of hanging in. They bowled pretty well.

“Hoggy (Kyle Hogg)’s always been there or thereabouts, Chappie (Glen Chapple)’s an experienced guy, Tom Smith just bashes it in and they haveKabir (Ali), so they have a pretty good bowling attack for that sort of wicket.

“They put us under a little bit of pressure through the game, so it was just a case of having to hang in there.

“We spoke before the game about bowlers getting tired into their third and fourth spells.

“After tea they started to look a little bit tired so we tried to cash in.”

Lancashire won the toss and bowled – as Durham would have done with helpful overhead conditions.

However, Coughlin felt that worked in his favour.

He said: “I did say earlier to one of the lads I was more nervous about waiting to bowl my first ball than to bat.

“It almost calmed the nerves to have scored some runs.

“If you had not scored any runs it puts a bit more pressure on you with the ball.

“I played a few loose shots early on and the Colonel (Mustard) had a quiet word to point me in the right direction.”